1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the operation of trolling motors used with fishing boats. In particular, the present invention relates to control of the trolling motor from a chair in the fishing boat.
2. Discussion of Background
Fishing boats come in a variety of styles and with a variety of equipment. A fishing boat may be equipped with an inboard or outboard motor for propelling the boat from place to place on a body of water such as a lake or stream. Many fishing boats also have a trolling motor that is smaller, quieter and less powerful than the outboard motor, for maneuvering the boat slowly across the water in a manner less disturbing to fish. The fisherman can fish while the boat is moved by the trolling motor or after it has stopped. If the boat is in a moving body of water, the trolling motor can be used to maintain or restore the position of the boat.
The trolling motor is controlled from the motor itself or, more conveniently, from foot-operated controls near a swivel chair on the boat. It is steered typically with a tiller, the motor head having an on/off switch, speed control and forward/reverse switch.
There have been attempts to control a trolling motor from the chair by coupling the rotation of the chair to the angle of the motor, but these have proved to be unsatisfactory because the range of motion is limited and because of the potential for the linkages between chair and motor to bind. Furthermore, the force required to turn the motor with a single cable or linkage system can be considerable. Consequently, there remains a need for a way to control a trolling motor from the chair where the fisherman sits.